Meant to be
by Knives'Ghostwriter
Summary: Working title, may change. Within the Ephesians 'verse winged!Reid verse Takes place during 5.09. "We're not going to make it. The way I see it, it's about five minutes as the crow flies," Reid looked at Morgan with wide eyes. "Can you make it that far?"


Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Criminal Minds. This is just for fun, no profit.

SPOILER ALERT! Set during the evil episode 5.09! It has an alternate ending so no character death, only unsub

From the same 'verse as Ephesians

Reid scratched at his knuckles, an anxious tick that was usually followed by fact rambling. Not this time though, he just blinked at the Unit chief and attempted to pull together a plausible story to tell. "Well… you see… Once we found out Foyet was in the area, we knew that he would want to make the biggest impact on Hotch as possible-" as the fictional recount rolled off his tongue the actual account played behind his eyes.

The moment they cracked the case they all bolted toward the door, knowing they were going to be too late even if they ran every light at full speed and had a police escort to keep anyone from trying to stop them. "Reid, wait," Morgan grabbed his arm as he threw his back over his shoulder. "We're not going to make it…"

"I know," Reid automatically said, pulling to get moving.

"No, I mean **we** aren't. The way I see it, it's about five minutes as the crow flies," Reid looked at Morgan with wide eyes. "Can you make it that far?"

Reid gulped, looking away before biting his lip and pulling his vest off, "I can try." He tossed the unneeded article to the floor and headed for the roof as fast as his leg would allow.

Foyet had just stood there, in plain view, back to the bay windows. No doubt dragging out his impending victory. Reid had gritted his teeth and dove straight down into it. At the last minute his wings wrapped around him to protect him from the shattering glass and debris. There was a scream a moment before Reid opened his wings back up enough to see Foyet before he grabbed at him and pulled his wings forward as hard as he could, propelling them both back through to broken window and across the yard.

Reid groaned in pain as he landed hard on his still recovering leg before he shoved Foyet away and grabbed for his gun before the unsub could recover. "Drop it," was automatically commanded in a pain filled voice as he got to his feet. Foyet was already raising his gun before he looked up to see Reid's wings open wide to keep him balanced on his aching leg. "I said, drop it!"

Foyet stalled for a moment, looking unsure what to do, before he noticed the slight tremor to Reid's hand. "You're not going to shoot me," the gun swung up toward him and Reid's hand stilled the moment he squeezed the trigger.

"Wanna bet," Reid grumbled as he put his gun away and managed to kick away the dropped gun before hobbling toward the broken window. "Mrs. Hotchner? Jack? Are you alright?" Reid knew he had to be one hell of a sight but it had to be better than that psychopath now laying dead in the front yard.

"I'm, I'm alright," was said shakily once she recognized the voice. Haley's eyes went insanely wide as she saw the youngest agent cut up and bleeding from various shallow wounds. "Spencer, are you…" she flinched back when his wings stretched to give a wounded flap before trying to pull themselves closed.

Reid hissed and pulled them away from his back when he felt glass rub across him skin. He'd have to get them clean before he could put them away. "I'm sorry to bother you but… could I borrow one of Hotch's shirts? I hear sirens and I don't want people to see these."

Haley gave out a single, hysterical, burst of laughter before nodding and sighing in pure relief as she went to go get one. Reid was too busy watching the body in the yard to notice when she came back, until she suddenly hugged him from behind, "Thank you so much."

Reid automatically pulled his wings as close to him as he could, uncomfortable with the touch, smiling nervously when she let go and handed him the shirt. "The team should be here soon, where's Jack?"

"He… he's okay. I don't want to get him until Aaron's here to show him everything's alright." Reid nodded in understanding and pulled the shirt over his head, Haley smiled and helped him lift it over his wings. "There, right as reign," Reid had to stop himself from rolling his eyes as he felt stinging from dozens of minor wounds.

Strauss's voice drug him from his memory, "So you expect me to believe that Haley threw an attacker, easily twice her size, through the window?"

"Honestly… I don't, but I've read and even seen incidence that when endangered humans are capable of doing extraordinary things. Haley, and her son, was in danger… if anyone would find it in themselves to do whatever it took to make sure they survived-"

"Enough, alright, say I believe you. You're saying that you and Agent Hotchner arrived on the scene in time to make it to the window while she was doing this?"

Reid looked away shyly and brushed the still healing cuts on his cheek, "No ma'am, I was the only one that was that close to the windows. It was a stupid rookie mistake, I wasn't thinking."

Strauss didn't look convinced but signaled for him to continue, allowing him to run through the memory while interpreting it within logical parameters.

Reid jumped the moment he heard a car door slam, blinking when Hotch took one look at the body in the yard before he rushed toward them, surprising the hell out of everyone when he latched onto Reid, _**"Thank you." **_Reid just shakily patted Hotch on the back before he was released as Haley was next on the list. "Where's Jack?"

"He's 'working the case' he's fine. He didn't see any of…" Hotch let a sob before letting her go to run for his office.

Haley helped Reid sit down when he wobbled, his leg and back telling him how bad he'd hurt in the morning. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I set my physical therapy back months but I'll be okay," he left out the fact he probably pulled a muscle in his back from using his wings so much but he just shook his head, smiled and signaled for her to go be with her son.

"I wowked da case mommy!"

Haley laughed, "Yes you did!"

Reid decided it was best to leave them be and limped out of the house on shaky legs. "Morgan, since you brought it up… could you give me a hand over here," he called toward the man leering over Foyet's body.

"Huh? Oh, sure kid." It took Reid what felt like hours to make it into the back seat of the SUV.

"3 minutes."

"Beg pardon?" Morgan responded to Reid's random statement.

"It's 3 minutes 'as the crow flies' from the BAU to here, not counting the time it took me to get up to the roof access."

"I know you're not a believer Reid but, thank god for that." Reid tilted his head at him, "If you didn't have those wings… Hell, if I didn't know about them I never would have thought of it. Hotch still has his family because of you." Reid smiled as he shifted to let Morgan shut the door.

"So, Foyet's dead, Agent Hotchner's family was safe. You and Foyet seem to be the only two with any injuries…"

Reid just looked up at Strauss with a slightly distant stare. "Would you rather Foyet be alive and still missing from custody? Or perhaps Haley dead and bleeding out when Hotch arrived? Or worse yet, both his wife and son butchered? Would you rather have that?"

Strauss flinched, "No… thank you, I think that's enough. Send Emily in next would you?" Reid nodded and grabbed his crutches, needless to say he'd done a lot worse to his knee than he'd originally thought, headed for the door. Strauss mumbled something as he was leaving, making him smile, "At least he didn't say 'they lived happily ever after'."

X

Reid grumbled as he grabbed the tabloid Morgan had been 'reading' knowing damn well the only reason he had it was for the blurry black and white image on the front of an unknown 'bat-man' that had been caught on tape in the area. The tabloid went straight into the trash without a word while Reid settled into his chair and started working, keeping his crutches within reach in case he needed to smack Morgan with them. "Hey kid, what's that for? They had a very interesting interview with a young woman that claims to be pregnant with Elvis' child." Reid gave him a look, "She seems very credible."

Emily couldn't help but laugh. "Morgan, leave him alone. It's your fault he even made the papers in the first place." Morgan smirked and shook his head, but dropped it before anyone else in the bullpen could ask questions.

Reid now groans every time he goes into Garcia's office. Seems Morgan wasn't the only one that found the tabloids… "Our resident dark night returns!"

Reid groaned and covered his eyes while Morgan laughs, "I wonder if we should tell them their bat-man is afraid of the dark."

Reid ended up hurting his hand more than Morgan's chest when he punched him. "Now now boys, play nice or I'll have to _spank _you. Hmm, you're right… He's our white knight instead." Reid stammered when Garcia kissed him on the cheek as she took an arm full of files over to Rossi.

Morgan was laughing and it took Reid swiping at his brightly colored cheek to figure out why. "You're a jerk, you know that?"

"Sure kid, whatever you say," Morgan smiled and handed him a tissue.


End file.
